Top Ten Tuesday: Book Brain Mush

TOP TEN TUESDAY

Hey, it’s my first post after the big Top Ten Tuesday change! Our favorite Tuesday feature has a new home with That Artsy Reader Girl and I’m excited to get to know her a little more!!

This week we’re listing books that we loved but can’t remember and I’m so glad this is the topic because I thought I was the only one that did this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to talk about a book with someone only to look like a fool when my memory gives me the finger.

In the end, I filled this with all the books I read as a kid that have completely vanished from my brain. I should have titled this article “Top Ten Tuesday: An Ode to Meg Cabot” because DANG. Be happy I stopped myself when I did. I could have EASILY filled the rest of these slots with other Meg Cabot books like Victoria and the Rogue, All-American Girl, Teen Idol, and Pants on Fire—all of which I used loved and have since forgotten.

Okay, my previous teen obsession with Meg Cabot, EXHIBIT A: The Princess Diaries. I used to LOVE this series when it first came out. I read the books and listened to the audiobook cassette tapes on my giant, Sharpie-decorated boom box many times over. When I got to the third one, I actually thought that was the last book for the longest time because it seemed to tie all the loose ends. It took me forever to realize it’s NOT a trilogy before continuing on with the series. I think I got to the sixth one before I lost interest????? Maybe??? Honestly, I’m kind of terrified to read the rest because if Mia and Michael don’t end up together, I will lose all faith in love.

Previous teen obsession with Meg Cabot, EXHIBIT B: The Mediator Series. After I devoured The Princess Diaries, I went on the hunt for other Meg Cabot books and discovered these. If you want to know what each book is about, that’s too bad because I could never tell you. The only one I can really remember is the last one because I was fangirling hard the entire time I read it. What I CAN tell you is that it’s about a girl named Susannah who can talk to spirits, including one very attractive Jesse de Silva who’s haunting her bedroom. Ghostly forbidden love ensues. *Suggestively wiggles eyebrows*

This is the LAST Meg Cabot series on the list, I swear!! Can you tell she was my favorite author growing up?? And just to prove what a nerd I really am, these were originally published under the pseudonym Jenny Carroll for reasons I never understood. But somewhere in a box I have the first three books with the original covers (same goes for The Mediator series) and that was way back in 2001. Oh god…

ANYWAY… All I can tell you about this series is that Jessica gets struck by lighting, leaving her with an ability to find missing people, and there’s hot bad-boy biker. I think we can all see where my teenage priorities were at…

I’ve used This Lullaby on past lists, so this feels like cheating, but it’s just so appropriate. I used to be OBSESSED with this book. It was the first Sara Dessen book I ever read and it’s the reason I continue to read her writing today. And despite the fact that I continue to recommend this to everyone I meet, I can barely remember what it’s about.

There’s a girl who’s jaded (don’t even remember her name) because her mother is a serial dater and she’s sworn off love. Her father is a famous musician who abandoned them years ago and the only thing she has to show for it is a hit song called “This Lullaby” that she can’t seem to escape from. Like in all Dessen books, she meets a guy who changes her outlook on love and cuteness ensues.

I remember thinking the male love interest was hilarious, but that’s about it. Part of me is terrified to reread this because what if it’s terrible to me now?? Ugh, I’d be so heartbroken. THERE GOES MY CHILDHOOD.

This is another series I’ve listed several times before, but I couldn’t NOT include it. I really need to reread these books because it’s been so long and I can’t remember anything about it. With some concentration I could give you a vague outline of the whole story, but that’s about it. Pullman’s new book The Book of Dust is on my tbr, but I definitely need to brush up on these first!

In past posts I’ve mentioned that City of Bones was my first real exposure to LGBTQ+ relationships in fiction, but this series deserves a shout out too. And actually, now that I think about it, I read this series first before I discovered The Mortal Instruments. I only really remember Tithe and not a lot about the other two, but I remember loving how gritty these books were. They were dark, creepy, and filled with faeries. It was one of my first real forays into creepy fantasy and I was not disappointed.

Yet another series that I read ages ago and only remember the vague outline of. Lately I’ve slowly been collecting these pretty hardcovers for my bookshelf and a checkout girl at Barnes & Noble asked me why she should read them. I’ve never felt so dumb. I THINK I said something about vampires and romance—the lamest answer ever. Pretty much blacked out during that whole conversation.

What makes this series EXTRA hard to remember is that each book is a different story about different people that eventually cross paths in the last one. I only remember a few of my favorite characters. Who knows what the other ones were about.

Another series I’ve listed previously, but was worth mentioning again. I remember the story as a whole, but my brain is fuzzy on the specifics. I’m dying to reread this series so I can read Riordan’s other books and understand all the references. Plus, I gave some of these a three star rating on Goodreads back in the day. What?? I loved these books! What was past me thinking?!?

HOLY CRAP, I read these SO LONG ago. I forgot they even existed until just now when I was scrolling through my Goodreads books. These two books aren’t related at all, but they’re by the same author and I read them at about the same time. Teen me was very much in love with these and I can’t even remember why because they’re both really sad from what I remember. #Feels

I THINK Lucas is about a girl who finds a homeless boy that lives… in the woods?? They become friends and have an almost-romance, but I can’t remember how it ends. Not well I don’t think. And all I remember about Candy is that a boy falls in love with a girl named Candy that’s addicted to some kind of drug and tries to help her kick the habit.

If we were playing book golf and there was a winner for least remembered, this series would be champion. There are 9 books in this series and I’ve read most of them—I want to say 7 or 8. Literally can tell you next to nothing on what they’re about. It’s a human meets vampire forbidden love story. That’s it, that’s all I got. I didn’t read these on my own, I was forced by one of my best friends and remember being completely underwhelmed, but pretending to love them for her. By the time I got to book 9, I just faked reading it because I didn’t care. It’d be funny to read them now and see if they’re as boring as I remember.

TALK TO ME

Have you read any of these? Which ones should I reread ASAP??
What books have you forgotten about reading?
Am I the only one that remembers whole series, but not individual books?? Happens EVERY TIME!

I was JUST talking about L.J. Smith books with a customer of the bookstore yesterday! She’s also a book blogger, and she and I both read YA books as adults, but L.J. Smith is a author we both read (she was in Middle School and I was high school when her books were coming out). She loved the Night World series, but I was more a fan of The Vampire Diaries (the original books, not the new ones not written by Smith anymore) and my all time favorite is The Secret Circle- but I legit could probably act out that entire series with some Barbie dolls and tiny crystals, lol. I don’t remember Night World as well, and I might not have finished that series… maybe I’ll track them down!

Hahahahaha no way!! 😂 That’s so funny! I first read the Night World series in high school too and I LOVED it, so I’m kind of mad at myself for forgetting it all. I’ve always wanted to read The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle, but have just never gotten around to it. Now I REALLY need to get my hands on The Secret Circle because I’m curious! And I wouldn’t be opposed to a Barbie puppet show if that’s still an option 😂😂 I feel that way about The Raven Cycle books, so you’re not alone!!

Percy Jackson is one of my favourite series, no chance of forgetting it anytime soon! I liked The Princess Diaries when I was younger, but looking back on it, Mia was kind of irritating!Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #143

Percy Jackson is amazing!! I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Lol. And oh my god, totally agree. Even when I was younger Mia would do or say something and I’d be like, girl WHY?? I think that’s a big part of why I lost interest.

I love the Percy Jackson books too!! I can’t wait to get my hands on Riordan’s other books because I’ve heard they’re just as good. The Mediator series is a personal favorite and gets me all nostalgic. Not sure why I was so obsessed with her as a kid though 😂 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I love the Percy Jackson series so much….but when I try to parse out the exact details of each book – or for that matter remember HOW MANY BOOKS THERE ARE – I uh, can’t recall what happens.
I know they get a flying ship at some point?
But as much as I loved these books, I didn’t venture into any of Rick Riodan’s other series and I SHOULD. Though I’m not even sure if a re-read is necessary to read the other ones? I should look into it.Chloe @ It’s YA Girl recently posted…WWW Wednesday

YES EXACTLY!! I know I love them and I can remember the first and last books, but the details in the middle get fuzzy. They all just blur together in my head. And you’re right, I don’t think you need to read the Percy Jackson series to read Riordan’s other books, but I’ve heard that there are a lot of references to them. I don’t wanna be the out of the loop!! Lol. #FOMO 😂

So many books on this list that I read as a teen too. I actually reread The Princess Diaries series a few years ago and still loved it – you need to finish it! I LOVED the Night World series, but I don’t want to reread them because L.J.Smith was building up to a huge apocalyptic event over the course of nine books and she never finished the series! (Readers have been waiting for book 10 for 20 years now…)

OH MY GOD, I KNOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!! That’s me!! I’m one of the people that’s been waiting for the last book for the last, like, ten years!!! It’s still saved in my Amazon wishlist and I just don’t have the heart to delete it. Lol. I’ve pretty much given up all hope that it will ever be released, but WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO PEOPLE?!?! IF YOU START A SERIES, FINISH IT!!! Gah!!

Ahaha, I have been waiting for almost 10 years too but I’ve basically given up hope! All of the goodreads reviews for number 10 are people alluding to rumours that LJS is finally writing/releasing it and I think the fact that it has a cover rough is just so misleading! >.<Arub recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Problematic Depictions of Love

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Behind the Curtain

Loretta

I'm Loretta, a twenty-something Hufflepuff who grew up in Chicago and eventually wandered down South to the warm. By day I'm a graphic designer and by night I'm a blogging book nerd. Things to know: Hufflepuff, hate mayonnaise, favorite color is blue, complete Whovian, Pepsi is better than Coke (fight me), and fantasy junkie.